PROVINCIAL NATURAL MONUMENTS

Natural monuments are the places declared as such by special laws, and which are given absolute protection. That includes living species and plants, natural environments, and archeological and paleontology places of singular scientific, esthetic or cultural importance. They are inviolable. No activity can take place in them except guided tours that guarantee the absolute intangibility, official inspections or scientific research permitted by the appropriate authority, and necessary for their proper care.

These are Natural Provincial Monuments:

Lobo Gargantilla
This is the largest otter in the world. It is also known as the "great river otter" or "giant otter". Some have been recorded to have up to 2.40 m in length and a weight of over 25 kgs. It is a sturdy, muscular animal. Of day habits, it forms groups of up to 9 individuals that, at mating time, separate into couples. The brood consists of 3 babies, born in very deep caves excavated in the banks of the shore and hidden among the vegetation. They feed mainly on fish, and complete their nutrition with water birds, small mammals and turtles.

Harpy Eagle
The most potent eagle in the province. It dwells in tropical and sub-tropical rainforests. It is a solitary hunter, and is taken to be one of the super-predators of the rainforest, with the jaguar. It captures a range of prey using its sharp claws and powerful beak. The male measures 70 cms long, and the female 90 cms, with a wingspan of nearly 2 m. Its feeds on mammals like the weasels, monkeys, anteaters and coatis.

Anteater
This is one of the most peculiar animals in the continent. Also known as "Tamandu guaz", "Yurumi', "Flag-Anteater" or "Great Anteater". Its body is robust and large, boasting a hard coat and a long tail. It roams around open areas with reeds, woody areas and the Misiones rainforest. To feed itself it has a large toothless muzzle. Its tongue is 60 cms long and its diet is based mainly on ants, termites, bees and beetles. It roams in the night.

Chorao (White-bellied Seed Eater)
The chorao lives in the tree strata of the Paranaense rainforest, usually in ParanaPine woods. It feeds on wild fruits and moves around in small bands or pairs, especially during the summer months. In winter they gather in the zone where the ParanaPine is found. It breeds in springtime. The destruction of the rainforest, and the near disappearance of the ParanaPine woods mean that its survival is precarious.

Illiger's Macaw
A Misiones' species that must be judged in danger, since its numbers have seriously diminished during the last century. In 1959 it was seen every day around the Iguazu falls. Little more than ten years later it had almost vanished. In 1980 it was photographed by chance in the lower Urugua-, which is the last known record of it in the country, but this also encourages us to hope that it still lives in hiding places.

Brazilian Merganser
This is an extremely shy and diffident mammal. The origin of its name comes from its long dentate beak that has a great number of "teeth". It likes forest streams with clear water, among the marginal forests of mataojos (Pouteria salicifolia) and sarandis, where there is no stable human presence. In winter (their breeding time) it feeds on some small fish (mojarras, morays, eels), water insects and mollusks that it captures without difficulty. It is the only species of this singular genus in South America.

Zorro pitoco - Bush Dog
This wild canine takes its name "zorro pitoco" from its very short tail, as the Portuguese word "pitoco" has precisely that meaning. It lives in Paranaense type rainforests, close to the water. In Argentina it is known only because four animals have been caught in the lower reaches of the Urugua- stream. It is the only South American canine with social habits, and hunts in packs of 5 to 10 or more individuals. Its usual prey are the agouti or cuta, the paca, tapetis (forest rabbits), tatus (armadillos), rodents and birds, and even baby deers.

Anta or tapir
This animal can be up to 2.54 m in length. Its weight ranges between 220 and 300 kgs. Its elongated snout is quite useful, since it is highly mobile, lives in the forest. obtains its food from all kinds of vegetation (leaves, shoots, tender branches, grasses, fruits, etc.) and some smaller vertebrates or invertebrates as well. It is a good swimmer and likes to go down to drink water or refresh itself in the streams, or chew the salty mud of the banks. It can breed at any time of the year.

Red Howler Monkey (Caray rojo)
This is a stout monkey with a long, prehensile tail. There are no differences in the couple, except when they are young. This species is associated with the eastern Misiones forests, especially in high, hill lands, and very often in Parana Pine woods. They are gregarious and playful. Their voices can be heard 3 km away. They are more active at dawn. Their diet is based on leaves and fruits such as cinnamon, the American timber tree, the pindo palm and ambay (cecropia tree.

Jaguar (Yaguaret)
This is the largest feline in America, and the symbol of the Misiones rainforest. Males can reach 2.50 m in overall length and a weight of 140 kg. Secretive and solitary in habits, it moves through all the environments: forest, reeds, the banks of rivers and brooks. It needs large hunting gropunds, and covers up to 11 km per day. They give birth to 1 or 2 cubs every 2 years. In the forest it behaves as a night killer. Its most common prey are collared peccaries, coatis, deer, tapirs, yacar alligators, capybaras, lesser anteaters, monkeys, pacas, fish, etc.

ParanaPine
This is an imposing giant of the Misiones rainforest and one of the most beautiful, especially when it reaches full adulthood and develops its immense umbrella-shaped crown. Perennial in foliage, it reaches 40 m in height and a diameter of 1.5 m. It is a long-lived species with some trees living more than 300 years in age.

Palo rosa
This magnificent tree is the highest in the Misiones rain forest. There are examples with a height of 42 m and 1.6 m in diameter. Its crown varies in shape and thickness, and is held up by some few thick, twisted branches that divide and divide again. This characteristic, and its great height, makes this giant easy to note. Its distribution within Argentina is limited to the province of Misiones.
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